Almost half of the 67 journalists killed worldwide in 2012 were
targeted and murdered for their work, research
by the Committee to Protect Journalists shows. The vast majority covered
politics. Many also reported on war, human rights, and crime. In almost half of
these cases, political groups are the suspected source of fire. There has been
no justice in a single one of these deaths.

Tags:

The issue of impunity affects all Colombian citizens'
access to real justice; it is not only a problem for crimes against
journalists. Several human rights bodies and non-governmental organizations
agree that Colombia dwells in a striking situation of impunity, especially concerning
crimes committed during the ongoing armed conflict.

Tags:

Brazil, Pakistan, and India--three nations with high
numbers of unsolved journalist murders--failed an important
test last month in fighting the scourge of impunity. Delegates from the three
countries took the lead in raising objections to a U.N. plan that would
strengthen international efforts to combat deadly anti-press violence.

It was 3 o'clock in the morning on Tuesday, November 15, 2011, when a car stopped in front of the offices of El Siglo de Torreón, the most widely read newspaper in the northern Mexican states of Coahuila and Durango. The driver pulled the vehicle onto the shoulder, stepped out, poured gasoline on it, and lit it on fire. From another car, AK-47 shots were fired at a window in the newspaper's offices across the street.

The attack lasted less than five minutes, enough time to complete the
job without disturbance. Fortunately, the doors were locked and the
staffers who remained inside were in the printing room, protected from
the assault. We never found out who torched the car or shot at the
windows. That November 15, we received calls from all types of
authorities as well as promises of a thorough investigation that never
happened.

Tags:

In case there was any doubt about the stance of Pakistani
authorities on the murder of journalists, UNESCO's 28th
biennial session offered an instructive insight. In addition to discussing
the U.N.
Draft Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity
during the meeting, held in Paris in March, member states were to report on
judicial inquiries into the killings of journalists from 2006 to 2009. Pakistan
was among 17 countries that did not respond to the request. It was also one of
three countries that refused to discuss the UNESCO draft, intended to take legislative
measures to combat attacks on the press. This was a reflection of our sad state
of affairs.

Romeo Olea's unsolved murder is tragically typical of
media killings in the Philippines. Before his death, the radio commentator had
received anonymous threats over his reports on local government corruption.

Tags:

Pakistani journalists are
under threat, and the public is paying the price. The most recent report from
the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan includes a detailed chapter on freedom
of expression, which ties growing suppression to rising incidence of violence
and threats against news media. Not coincidentally, Pakistan sits near the top
of CPJ's Impunity Index and other the global lists of most dangerous countries
for reporters.